Ages Past
by Lessa Solarem
Summary: Vincent Valentine is awakened with a nightmare and hauntingly familiar voice chiming through his mind. Who is this mysterious person and why is Vincent dreaming of them? Rated for possible language, set after DoC.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Yes, I am back! Only now with Final Fantasy VII… I played through Dirge of Cerberus, I saw Advent Children, etc, and I fell in love with Vincent Valentine. I'm sorry if it's OOC, and really random. Here it is.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from FFVII; it all belongs to the folks from Square Enix…Though I'd claim Vincent for my own if I could…

_Oh, God, help me! Please, someone…._

_Save me, oh please it hurts…_

_Stop her!_

_Vincent…You promised…_

He shot bolt upright in his bed, sweat pouring down his face. He didn't scream. Never screamed. He never showed emotion, never manifested any of the recognizable signs.

It hurt, sometimes, to be stoic.

Since his awakening was silent, he didn't wake any of his companions.

Air. He needed air.

Most of his clothing was already on. He didn't usually take any of it off, for fear someone would see. He slipped his cloak on, tied his headband around his head, slid on his claw. His boots he left for when he was outside.

The cool night air calmed him, soothed him. It always had, even before…

He shuddered, the most emotion Vincent Valentine ever showed, and only when no one was around to see it.

Being now calm, he focused his thoughts on the dream he'd just had. He rarely slept, and hadn't dreamt for years. After Hojo…

He turned his thoughts back to the dream.

_Vincent… _

The voice had been eerily familiar, even if none of the others had.

_You promised… _

Promised who? Promised what?

Was it even worth pondering? Dreams weren't prophetic…

Were they?

That was the sad part of his life. He didn't know most of what he could do. The parts of his abilities he did know were more curse than gift.

The torture…

It didn't do to dwell on the past. That road led to insanity. The only reason he wasn't insane after his thirty-some-odd year interment in that coffin was because of the voices.

All silent now.

Two years since Chaos had left him…

Was it a relief?

"Vincent Valentine."

He turned, catching sight of Shelke, a girl he'd befriended two years ago.

"You should be asleep." His voice was low, gruff, deep. It hadn't always been.

"I heard you leave. Something troubles you."

He turned back to his contemplation of the stars. "A dream, nothing more."

"Yet it troubles you, still."

He almost sighed, but that would be showing emotion. It wouldn't do for him to ever show emotion. "No." A lie, but an easy one.

"I know you better than you think, Vincent Valentine. I harbored Dr. Crescent, for a time."

She was right. He knew it.

"Very well. I dreamed of screaming. Mostly unintelligible things. It was a laboratory. There were people, so many of them. All of them brutally mutilated."

"Like you were."

He didn't deign to respond. "The things being done to them were…unspeakable. In the midst of all this, I heard my name. It was quiet, but clear, unmistakable. 'Vincent, you promised.' I know that voice, but I don't know from where."

"So what is the problem?"

"I don't know if it is simply something my subconscious mind came up with, drawing on…certain of my memories…or something…else."

"Perhaps you should find out."

"There's nothing to do. Nothing familiar except that voice."

"Get some sleep, Vincent Valentine. It may shed some light on this."

"You first."

Without another word, she slipped back inside and found her bed. He stayed out a little longer, puzzling as was his wont, but he come up with nothing new.

When he went back to bed, he did not dream again.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Once again, I own nothing…Please review…

Vincent debated asking the others about what they thought, but decided against it. He already knew what their reactions would be.

There was nothing he could say, anyway. He couldn't even tell if the voice was male or female…simply that it was familiar.

Besides, he rationalized, the dream would most likely go away. He didn't dream.

However, the dream came back the very next night. It was more vivid, now, and he was there. Standing in the laboratory.

_There. Lucrecia. What was she doing there? Where were they?_

_So many people, all chained or tied or caged. All bleeding, broken. All experiments._

_All like him._

_"Any luck yet?" came a nasally voice that almost made Vincent flinch. Almost._

_"Not yet," Lucrecia replied. "There is one that gives me hope, though."_

_"Good," said the owner of the voice, entering the room. Hojo. Vincent considered hiding, but it seemed that no one could see him. Was this a memory? "Keep trying. This could be exactly what we need."_

_She nodded, then moved to one of the cages. It was filled with liquid, healing the person inside it._

_Like him._

_Drawn, he moved to look inside. There was a small girl, a woman. She was pretty. She was unconscious._

_Her eyes shot open, staring right at him. Lucrecia seemed not to notice._

"Vincent," _the floating girl whispered, clearly, all he could hear, "_you promised. You promised you'd protect me. Now look._"_

He shot straight up, almost knocking over Yuffie, who stood over him.

"Hey, watch it!" she shouted as she skipped away. "What's the matter with you?"

Vincent was breathing too hard to do much more than shake his head. That girl…He knew her. But from where…?

"Hmph," Yuffie grumbled. "Tifa says breakfast." She stalked off, miffed.

Vincent shook his head. She'd get over it. Why had he come back, anyway? He should have just gone to the Forgotten City. He could be alone there. No one would bother him there.

He could think.

That girl…

_Vincent… _

Would that voice perpetually haunt him?

He had to know. He stood and dressed. The Shinra Mansion. There would be answers there. There had to be. If there had been other experiments…

Something tickled at the back of his head. One of the beasts that existed in his body. He ruthlessly shoved it back. He didn't need this now.

Chaos was gone. It was easier, but still…

Would Chaos have had access to the memories he needed?

No, all he needed was meditation. He just needed to think.

The mansion? Or the Forgotten City? Where should he go?

"VINCENT!" Yuffie shouted. "Get your ass in gear!"

He almost started, so lost in his thoughts had he been. He half-turned.

Yuffie was standing in the doorway, hands planted on her hips. "Seriously! Tifa'll kill me if I have to tell you again!"

"How so?"

"'Cuz then you'll be late!"

Vincent sighed. They wouldn't let him be until he'd gone down, even if he wasn't particularly hungry. He didn't need to eat, either, thanks to Hojo.

Hojo…

More experiments?

Returning to his thoughts, he went to join the others.

He was distracted throughout. In the rare moments he actually thought about it, he figured they must all know something was going on.

At the earliest possible moment, he slipped away and went to the roof, his favorite thinking perch while he was there.

Cloud came up. He might have known that he would.

"Something's up, Vincent. Care to discuss?"

Vincent's silence was answer enough.

"Everyone's worried about you."

"They shouldn't be. They have no reason to be."

"Vincent, you've bee acting strange all morning. Plus, Yuffie's been braggin about how she snuck up on you."

Vincent was quiet for a moment. "I can't stay, Cloud. I have to go."

"Where?"

"Not sure yet. There are answers, I just have to start looking."

"Where will you start?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"You'll leave without a destination?" Vincent nodded. "I'm going with you."

"No. This is something I have to do."

"It's dangerous…"

"You know I'm better equipped than most to handle it."

"So? Vincent…"

"I go alone."

Cloud sighed. "Fine. When will you be coming back?" Silence. "Will you be coming back?"

"I don't know. I don't know anything right now, except something's waiting for me." Vincent stood. "Tell them I left. And tell Yuffie not to follow me…or call me."

With that, Vincent slid silently away, avoiding everyone. He didn't say goodbye, never said goodbye.

Even if he knew he was never coming back.


	3. Chapter 3

Vincent set out in the general direction of the Forgotten City. He felt at first that he needed time to think things through, puzzle out the meaning behind this dream.

And then he had another one.

_He was standing in a different lab than the one that had been in the last dream, but Lucrecia was there anyway._

_He knew this lab. It was where Hojo had mutilated him. Where Lucrecia had saved his life and damned him at the same time._

_The Shinra Mansion._

_He prowled the shadows, knowing he wouldn't be seen, but being cautious anyway._

_Just like the last one, Hojo entered, staring at Lucrecia. Vincent bristled. He didn't like that look._

"_Any results?"_

_Lucrecia sighed, not looking up. "No. She's comatose and not responding to anything I do. The only thing I can imagine could be done would be to store her somewhere for a few years, come back and try again."_

_Hojo got a nasty smile on his face. "Let me try."_

_Lucrecia shuddered, leaving him to his attempts._

_Vincent started forward, needing to do something, but knowing he couldn't. This wasn't real. None of it was. Before he go very far, the scene changed._

_A group of Shinra soldiers were stowing a storage container in some kind of closet. He was vaguely sure they were still in the Manson but he didn't recognize this part. He edged closer to get a good look at the container, needing to see if it was the girl. That voice still haunted him_

Vincent….

_It was. Comatose, she looked peaceful._

_Her eyes snapped open and she emitted a soundless scream. The soldiers, like Lucrecia, did not notice._

_She looked straight at him, her eyes black as midnight now. "Where were you?" she demanded. " Where are you? Save me!"_

Vincent woke, sweat pouring down his body. A sense of urgency pervaded the air. He stood and dressed more fully, leaving as soon as he could.

He knew, now, where he had to go.

Shinra Mansion. That girl…She was calling. He had to know who she was.

He changed direction and sped off towards Nibelheim and that mansion of nightmares as quickly as he could.

He hoped he wasn't too late.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Wow. Two chapters in one day…I'm amazing. I think I got this right, the timing and all…

He did not slow, even as he pondered how ridiculous it was that he was allowing this dream to drive him so. Still, the sense of urgency he'd gotten did not go away.

Two days and nights. He did not stop, did not sleep or eat. He just went, driven by this animal instinct that he needed to be THERE as fast as he could be.

Nibelheim. The mansion in the background.

Would the container, the girl, even still be there? This was ridiculous.

He continued on into the mansion of nightmares.

It was dark, silent. Abandoned. So different from the last time he'd been there.

_Soldiers, everywhere. Deepground had gotten a firm foothold here…_

_A flash of crimson. Searing pain. A sense of being lifted. A sense of emptiness…_

He shook off those memories. They did not serve him now.

Where to begin? The laboratory made the most sense. He knew where that was.

A creak behind him. He'd been so focused on his goal that he had ignored everything else.

Stupid.

Slowly, quietly, under cover of his cape, he drew his gun. Cerberus. It had served him well and would do so again.

"Vincent Valentine."

He spun, aiming the gun even though he knew what he would find behind him.

"Shelke." He almost sighed as he holstered his gun. "What are you doing here?"

She tilted her head slightly. "I followed you. I didn't think it was a good idea for you to go alone, as distressed as you were. Cloud agreed with me. He brought me. He'd have stayed but…Marlene needed him."

"Cloud…" Vincent almost cursed. "I'm fine alone."

"Of course. That is why I was able to sneak up on you."

He almost smiled. "Fair enough. Still, it's dangerous here. You should go back." He turned to leave.

She followed. "No. You need someone to watch out for you. You obviously can't do so in your state."

He turned and looked at her. He studied her intently, trying to gauge whether he should push. He shook his head.

"Fine. You can come."

"Will you tell me why we're here?"

He gazed past the staircase to where the entrance to the lab lay. There lay the source of his dreams. The owner of that voice was there.

_Vincent…_

Would it stop once he'd found her?

_You promised…_

He should go now. That urgency hadn't left him.

_Save me!_

"Not here. Let's go outside. It's not something I care to discuss in a place like this."

"As you wish, Vincent Valentine. This place is best left for daylight, anyway. I saw an inn as we entered the town."

He nodded and followed her out.

_Tomorrow,_ he promised the voice silently. _Tomorrow, I'll find you. Tomorrow, I'll save you. Tomorrow, you'll tell me who you are, and what I promised._

_Tomorrow._


	5. Chapter 5

They went to the inn, not talking much. He stood at the window, staring in the direction of the mansion. He couldn't see it this late, it was too dark.

He still felt its brooding presence.

"Vincent. You promised."

Vincent shuddered at the eerie repetition of the words in the dream.

_Vincent…_

That voice…so passionate, so frightened. Shelke's voice was even, almost monotone. So different.

"Vincent Valentine. You told me you'd give a reason for our presence here."

He didn't turn around. "So I did." He was silent for a moment more. "I don't expect that you'll understand. It sounds silly, even to me as I choose the words I'll use to tell you. Still, the sense that I'm where I need to be, or close, is strong.

"Over the past few nights, I've been dreaming. This in itself is strange. I never dream, not even during my thirty-year interment in that coffin in the basement. Never dream. Torture myself, or be tortured by the others in my head, yes. Not dream.

"The dream has progressed over these nights. It started as a disembodied voice calling my name and telling me I'd promised. There were screams. So many voices, all of them unintelligible, except that one. The second, I was in an unfamiliar lab. Lucrecia was there, and Hojo. They were discussing an experiment. There were no definite results, but one gave hope of success. People. They were experimenting on people. One of the cases drew me. Inside was a girl, unconscious, floating in a healing tank. Her eyes snapped open and she stared at me, saying I'd promised to protect her. The third was in the Shinra Mansion. The lab downstairs. They were discussing her again, the girl. She was in a coma, then Hojo tried to wake her up. I shudder to speculate at what was done. The scene changed and I was in some kind of storage facility. I'd never seen it before, but I believe it was still in the mansion. They were storing her, waiting for her awakening, I suppose. She opened her eyes again, looking at me. Screaming. I don't remember what she said, but then I came here."

"You'd think they'd notice if her eyes opened like that," Shelke remarked,

Vincent shook his head. "It was part of the dream. She was trying to tell me, trying to get me to save her. Those were her memories, I think and she simply inserted her message in."

"Do you know her?"

"I don't remember. Maybe. So much is lost to me. I'll never know exactly what was done to me or how or why. I may never even remember my past. Maybe I did know her, and promise her something. I don't remember."

"Hm. Are you sure this isn't a figment of your subconscious imagination?"

"I have no imagination," he remarked dryly. "Is there any mention of any other experiment in your files on Lucrecia?"

She was silent a moment as she searched her memory. "Negative. There is only information concerning Omega and Chaos, as well as fragments of memories with you."

"Naturally," he said softly. "It's late, Shelke. You should sleep."

"As should you, Vincent Valentine."

He nearly smiled.

Vincent didn't sleep that night. He woke Shelke mid-morning and waited while she ate. He was restless, the feeling of urgency growing every moment.

"All right," she said at last. "If you're not going to eat, we can go."

He immediately shot towards the door, not even waiting further for Shelke. He'd waited long enough.

He restrained himself enough so that he didn't run. He walked fast. He forced himself to slow to a walk that Shelke could keep up with. Together they entered into the darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I am not one to disappoint my reviewers…Anyone have any requests for anything at all? I'll be glad to put it in.

Vincent took the lead as they delved further into the darkness. He knew the way for sure, though he was relatively sure Shelke knew it as well.

He led them to the laboratory that held so many memories for him, and not all of them bad. He pushed them away as he did everything else. He had no need for such trivialities. He had a bigger mission to accomplish.

Taking a deep breath, he began to examine some of the files left behind. He heard Shelke begin to do the same. They worked in silence for a long time.

Finally, she spoke up. "I have found a reference to an abandoned project that may be the one you refer to." She brought the file closer to him. "It says there was an effort to create the perfect being, one who was self-sufficient, not requiring food or water or even sleep. One with exceptionally long life and resilient body tissues."

She hesitated. Vincent almost smiled. "Sounds like what they did to me. What else?"

"These beings were meant as servants and public labor. Things like shop keeping or garbage removal. They were meant for the jobs no one wanted.

"Experiment after experiment failed as the subjects died. One lived, displaying a stubbornness, a tendency towards life that was non-existent in her fellows. However, that one fell into a coma. Various attempts were made to revive her, including injection of Jenova cells and mako, and insertion and dissolution of materia." Shelke paused here. "I didn't know that was possible."

"Neither did I," admitted Vincent. "Go on."

"It was never understood why she fell. No medical record exists. It says only she was stored in a stasis chamber in hopes that she would be awakened some time later. Unfortunately, the appearance of Sephiroth disrupted those plans. As far as I can tell, she's still there."

"Good. Have you any idea where?"

Shelke shook her head. "No. I believe the location of this vault was common knowledge when this report was written. They would not have needed to write it down."

"Keep looking," Vincent instructed. "If we don't find anything, we'll search the mansion."

The feeling of urgency was growing, making it hard to concentrate. However, he had been a Turk. He knew how to push feelings aside.

It was what kept him alive, and made him less human.

"Nothing," Shelke said at last. "There is nothing here."

"All right, then, we'll start looking."

"It's a big mansion, Vincent Valentine."

"Then we'd best get started."

Shelke looked at him for a moment. "I've never seen you so passionate. Perhaps if we called for back up the search would go faster."

Vincent shook his head. "They couldn't be here fast enough to be of any help. We're on our own." He turned and swept out of the room.

How had he known the time limit? How had he even known there was one?

What was this girl?


	7. Chapter 7

Shelke could not believe the fervor with which he searched. She had some memories of Lucrecia's that gave her knowledge of his passion, but she had never witnessed it for herself. He was usually so reserved.

She helped as best she could. However, due to her small size, there wasn't much she could really do.

They tore apart the entire lab. There was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

She could almost see his rage.

Before, Chaos would have started to emerge. Now, he struggled with his other inner beasts.

"How can there be nothing here?" he growled. "There has to be."

"You're assuming she was stored in the lab, Vincent Valentine," Shelke said reasonably. "Would scientists such as Dr. Crescent and Dr. Hojo really want a consant reminder of failure?"

Vincent stared at her as though she'd grown two heads. Finally, he relaxed. "You're right, of course. I came through an entire portion of this house that was used for storage. She's probably there. Thank you."

She smiled and he led her out.

The storage facility was a maze of containers, most of which ere empty. They wound their way through the various sheds and boxes in search of something Vincent recognized from the dream.

"I wonder if I've finally gone completely mad," he mumbled after about half an hour.

"Why would you say that?" she inquired.

"I'm following a dream I don't even know is true to find a girl I don't remember knowing," he admitted after a moment. "Have I simply lost my mind?"

"Perhaps," Shelke stated matter-of-factly. "It is always a possibility. However, it is an unlikely one. You are one of the most stable people I've ever met, Vincent Valentine."

He almost smiled. "Like that's saying a lot."

She did smile. "Fair enough."

They continued on. She could tell Vincent had no hope of really finding anything.

They turned a corner and he stopped dead. "This was in my dream," he whispered. "I know this place."

His tread was sure as he walked to a locked vault.

He pulled up short. "I don't know how to unlock it," he said softly. "That wasn't part of it."

Shelke moved up to take a closer look. "Hmm. It shouldn't take me too long to crack the code." Vincent raised an eyebrow. "My specialty is computers, Vincent Valentine. This one is a very simple one." He nodded and yielded the space in front of the door to her.

It didn't take her very long, only fifteen minutes or so, but he was pacing, hovering. It was obvious he was anxious.

"There," she said at last, stepping back as the door opened.

Inside was a healing chamber, like that which had been used on Vincent and Shelke herself. Inside the chamber, suspended, sleeping, was a girl.

"That's her," he whispered.

"A few questions remain, Vincent Valentine," she reminded him. "The most pertinent one is how do we wake her up?"


	8. Chapter 8

Vincent simply stared at her for a bit, unable to comprehend that his dreams had been true.

What was she?

_Vincent… _

The memory of her voice, her desperation, spurred him into action. He began examining the healing chamber for a way to open it.

"Are you sure it's wise to simply open it, Vincent Valentine?" Shelke inquired. "After all, it may be all that is keeping her alive."

Vincent glared at the tank. He needed to talk to her, to find out who she was. Now. Right now.

Instead of shattering it like he wanted to, he turned to Shelke. "What do you recommend, then?"

"Perhaps we can see if there is a wakening or revitalizing mechanism on it somewhere," she suggested.

She took a step forward, noting the tension in his body as she did so. Hmm. He was protective. That was most interesting. Perhaps a stored reaction?

She stored the fact away for later analysis and concentrated on finding a way to awaken the girl.

After a few minutes of intense examination of the terminal on the chamber, she picked out a sequence she thought would do it. She pushed it. If it worked, wither the girl would awaken or nothing would happen and she would remain in a coma.

There was nothing for a moment, and then…

"She's opening her eyes," Vincent breathed.

The girl awoke and took in her surroundings. She took stock of where she was and began to thrash around, clearly afraid.

Vincent let loose the beast within and smashed the container with his claw, catching the girl as she fell. She was cold and shaking, spluttering, but she was clearly alive.

He'd arrived in time.

She was shivering and she huddled closer to him, desperate for some kind of warmth. Shelke observed the girl, uneasy. What had they awoken? This was one who could speak through thoughts and project images and messages into the sleeping mind of one who did not dream.

Had they damned the world? Should they have considered this more thoroughly?

She knew there had been no other course, not in the face of Vincent's determination.

When she had warmed a bit, she looked up into Vincent's eyes and did not shy away. Instead, she smiled up at him tiredly, clearly pleased to see him.

He looked down at the girl he held in his arms and asked the question that had been plaguing him since the first night he'd dreamt of her.

"Who are you?"


	9. Chapter 9

She woke encased by liquid. She knew this. This was bad. They were going to…

She began to kick and punch and do anything she could think of to get out and away. Not that she'd be able to. She was too weak.

Where was Vincent?

The liquid began to cascade out of the container. Through the front. Was that right?

She was caught by a strong arm. She shivered, freezing. She was alive and out of there. That was what counted now. The rest could wait until she'd recovered a little.

Warmth came slowly. When it did, she was able to look up at her rescuer.

The eyes that met hers were crimson.

Vincent. He had come. He'd gotten her message.

He'd kept his promise.

She offered a small smile, pleased more than she should be.

It had been so long since she had seen a friendly face.

He looked a little different. His hair was longer, he was leaner. Something hid behind his eyes. Something dangerous.

It didn't bother her much.

He was saying something. It took her startled brain a few moments to puzzle out the words. It had been years since she had heard a human voice, heard actual words.

"Who are you?'

It took her a moment more to puzzle out the meaning behind the words. Then it dawned on her, what was really different.

He was like her. They'd done things to him too.

She closed her eyes. Not Vincent too…He was supposed to be safe as a Turk.

She considered her responses. So much to say…First, though, she had to find out how long she'd been out.

"How long?" she croaked out slowly.

"How long since what?" he asked.

"How long since…you…Turk?"

He blinked. He was surprised, she thought, but before he would have shown some kind of revealing expression. How different was he? "I haven't been a Turk for thirty years," he told her.

Thirty years…That long.

"You…no…remem-ber me?" she managed to get out.

He shook his head. "No. The first I heard of you was in my first dream of you. Did you send those?"

She couldn't remember. She didn't think so, so she shook her head. "I…Kiya."

"Kiya," he repeated. "Did you know me? Before?"

All she could do was nod. Her vocal cords had given out.

Thirty years of disuse would probably do that.

"This can wait, Vincent Valentine," said a new voice, monotone, dispassionate. She turned to look.

A girl stood there. She looked young, but gave the impression of greater age. She was dressed in a strange glowing suit with metal rods holstered at her sides.

Vincent looked up at her. "She needs care," the girl continued. "She's been in captivity for more than thirty years, most likely. Who knows what was done to her?"

Vincent considered for a moment, then nodded. "All right. We'll go back to the inn, then call the others. They can get some kind of transportation out here." He looked back down at her, but said nothing.

She thought she saw hope in his eyes as he lifted her to take her to where they were going. She laid her head on his shoulder, glad to be among friends again.

She was asleep, in a real sleep, for the first time since she'd been taken, before they left the lab.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I like to keep up…Since I haven't updated in a while, I'm updating a lot!

Vincent was on the phone with Cloud within minutes of their return to the hotel. He explained the entire situation as briefly as he could and made his request.

Tifa and Cloud engineered a pick-up quicker than Vincent could have hoped. The girl…No, use her name. Kiya had fallen ill with a fever. Shelke had done what she could, but she was no doctor.

Tifa was, fortunately, much better at nursing people. She had to take care of orphans, after all.

He was banished from her presence until she'd recovered.

"You'll kill her with your questioning," Tifa chided. "She needs rest and relaxation."

Still, Vincent hovered. He often asked Shelke to check on her, make sure she was all right and comfortable. Shelke would comply with amusement shining in her eyes.

"What's so great about this chick, anyway?" Yuffie demanded one day. "I mean, seriously."

"I don't know yet," Vincent told her. "I will find out."

"How can she be important if you don't even know who she is?" she inquired.

Vincent's only answer was a glare.

Kiya was awake for once when Shelke entered to see her. Usually, the strange girl was asleep.

"Good morning," Shelke said carefully.

"Hello," Kiya rasped. She still didn't have too much control over her voice. She was getting much better, though.

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you."

"That's good. Vincent has been hovering outside your door."

"Why hasn't he come in?"

"He's been banished. Tifa thought he would not be conducive to your recovery."

"You're a good friend of his?"

Shelke nodded. "Yes. He saved me about two years ago."

"What's your name?"

"Shelke."

"That's pretty."

"Thank you."

Kiya was silent for a moment. Finally, she asked, "What is he like?"

Shelke was surprised. "I thought you knew him."

"I did. He'd different. He doesn't show emotion anymore, he's more reserved. He looks different. He's a different Vincent than the one I knew."

"I see. He is reserved, very quiet. He doesn't let anyone in. I don't know much about him, other than he is caring. He doesn't like to show it, though."

"What happened to Lucrecia?"

Shelke tilted her head. "You knew her?"

Kiya nodded. "Yes. I knew a side of her that wasn't very pleasant. Is she here?"

"As far as we know, she's dead."

Kiya smiled. "Good. How did he get how he is?"

"Hmm. I'm not entirely sure. I do know he was heavily experimented on by Dr. Hojo, and that Dr. Crescent did something else. What she did, though, is gone. Done with forever."

Kiya nodded. "I see."

Tifa appeared in the door. "Ah, you're awake. Good, you can eat something."

Kiya smiled up at Tifa. "Please."

Shelke stood. "I will take my leave."

"Tell Vince to come in himself next time. I want to talk to him."

Shelke exchanged a glance with Tifa, then nodded. "I will do so."

Kiya settled back down, content to wait for Vince.

They had a lot of catching up to do.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Wow, I'm getting all kinds of reviews…I love it. This is how I thrive. I don't want to kill anyone and yes I love you all! As for the story of how they know each other, well…We'll see…insert evil laugh here

Vince finally got permission to see Kiya. He took a deep breath, then entered her room.

She was bed-ridden, yes, but that didn't mean she couldn't exercise her mind, apparently. She had books stacked around her and she was halfway through the one she held in her hand.

She looked up at the sound of the door and smiled, closing the book and setting it down.

"It's about time," she said hoarsely.

He couldn't take his eyes off her. "How are you?" he asked first.

"I'm fine," she replied. "It's all right to ask me things, Vince. There's probably a lot you want to know."

"Who are you?" It was the first question that came to his lips.

"My name is Kiya Oliver," she said. "Last count, I was twenty-four, but that was before they got hold of me."

"They?"

"Dr. Hojo and Dr. Crescent."

"What are you?"

Kiya seemed to find that funny. She gave a rasping sound that he could only suppose was laughter. "I'm human," she said at last. "They did perform all kinds of experiments on me, so I don't know what I can do, but I am human. I might ask the same thing of you. What are you?"

"I'm the product of Hojo's experimentation. He thought he could make me into something else, the perfect solider perhaps. I don't know. I don't know what was going through his mind. In any case, he spliced these…beasts into my system. I can transform into three other forms, and none of them are nice. They're also sentient."

Kiya nodded, looking deeply into his eyes. "Yes, I can see that. What happened to the fourth?"

"The fourth…Chaos? You know about Chaos?"

"I see only an empty space in you that was once filled. Something is gone, missing."

Vincent shook his head. "Lucrecia experimented on me as well, only she was trying to save my life. She inserted a fourth being, as you say. Chaos. The harbinger of the end. A few years ago, there was a battle that almost destroyed the world. It was ended, obviously, but Chaos was absorbed back into the Lifestream."

"Ah. So he's gone from you forever."

"One would hope," Vincent replied gruffly.

There was silence for a few moments. She was studying him intently, and it made him uncomfortable. Finally, he spoke up. "Why did you call me Vince?" he asked. "I hate that."

She looked surprised. "I've always called you Vince. If you really have a problem with it, I can stop."

"Please. How…How do you know me?"

She examined him a moment more. "No, you really don't remember. Well, I suppose it's time to tell you.

"I am your mother."

A/N2: You are all going to hate me in the next chapter, I promise. Lol.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Wow. Just…Wow…I feel loved! So many reviews! Keep 'em comin', people! Um, just so y'all know, I'm screwing with timelines here, and a lot. I think.

Vincent stared in complete shock at this woman. She had to be joking.

"You're lying," he finally said flatly.

"Why would you say that?" she asked.

"First, you already said you were twenty-four, and I was twenty-seven before all this. Second, my mother is dead."

"Who told you that?" she asked bemusedly. "Grimoire?"

Vincent hesitated. "No. He never talked much about my mother."

"What do you remember?"

"Nothing. The memories of my mother are completely gone. I can barely remember my father."

"Grimoire never knew what had happened to me, I imagine," she mused, more to herself than anything. "What happened to him?"

"He died," Vincent said shortly. She flinched, clearly upset.

She was quiet for a moment, soaking in her grief. Then she said, "You're angry. You don't believe me."

"How am I supposed to?" he demanded. "I mean, how am I supposed to take you seriously? If you were in my life at all, I think I'd remember you. Besides, you're too young!"

"Can I tell you my story?" she asked. "If at the end of it, you don't believe me, I'll disappear and you'll never have to see me again."

He looked at her for a moment, then nodded.

"I met Grimoire Valentine when I was sixteen. He was older at twenty-three. I didn't really care. He was amazing to me; handsome, charming, sweet, intelligent…I knew he was it.

"I was lucky enough, unlike so many out there in the world, to have my interest returned.

"Needless to say, my parents were…less than pleased. Still, we would not be bound by others' plans. We ran away together. He took me to Midgar and married me.

"Those next years were the happiest of my life. I can't remember brighter days or more glorious nights. That may, of course, be colored and biased. I was young, and I was in love.

"At twenty, I became pregnant. My baby boy was the most beautiful I had ever seen." She looked at him with such warmth shining from her eyes it almost hurt. "He had his father's unusual eyes even then.

"Grimoire's work took him away, more and more. He told me of it, of Omega and Chaos. I was far too busy to pay too much attention. I had my baby.

"One day came when Grimoire had some time. I needed to go out and get a few things, so I left my darling boy with him and went out on my own to be as quick as I could. I did miss him so.

"My baby was four years old. I can still remember his smile. He was such a beautiful baby. Oh, I'm biased. Anyway, there was a roundup. I walked right into the middle of it. It was only supposed to be certain people, but I didn't know.

"I didn't know.

"I don't remember exactly what happened after. I only remember a lot of pain. I think I remember screaming. That may be how I lost my voice. I don't know.

"I don't know what they did to me. I do remember hearing your name, multiple times. You were the promising young gunslinger, new come to the Turks. Even in the midst of my pain, I was content. My shining son was safe.

"Oh, god, if only I'd known. I'm so sorry."

Vincent started. He'd had dreams, hallucinations almost, of Lucrecia saying those exact words. It was eerie.

"It's all right," he said gruffly. "Everything is fine."

"No. If it was, neither of us would be in this position. Grimoire would still be here. We'd be…a family. You'd know me." To his shock, she pulled her knees in close and buried her face in them, her frail body heaving.

Uncertain, he went to sit next to her, sliding an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him.

They remained like that for a bit, he uncertain and stiff, she sad and yielding.

After a while, she was able to pull herself together. She wiped her eyes then asked a question of her own.

"How did you find me?"

He told her the story, every detail. She was deep in thought throughout.

"A promise…Hmm. Well, either someone was screwing with my memories and sent them to you, or else…" She didn't finish that sentence. She didn't need to. "I don't know exactly what might be meant by a promise. There was a time when you were almost four that you promised to protect me always. I thought it was funny then. Your father promised me that once, too, before you were born."

Vincent looked away. "I don't remember."

"Wouldn't expect you to," she said, coughing.

As if on cue, Tifa walked in. "All right, Vincent, that's enough for one day. Give her some time. She does need to recover."

He nodded and, after a moment, kissed her forehead, promising to come back the next day.

He had a lot to think about.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Just so you all know, this next week is going to be insane for me, and I don't know how much I'll be able to update. Please bear with me.

He found himself on the roof that night, restless, thoughts swirling in colorful patterns in his head.

His mother. Could he believe her?

He lowered his head to his chest. Everything was so messed up. He needed to think.

He needed to go home, to the Forgotten City. To be alone.

"Vincent Valentine."

He almost sighed. Shelke. Of course. He couldn't get five minutes alone with his thoughts.

He turned slightly to catch sight of her in his peripheral vision. "What is it?" he asked more gruffly than he had intended.

Well, she had interrupted.

"I was wondering about her. About Kiya." Naturally. "You spent a lot of time with her today. Who is she?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"She didn't tell you?"

"She did. I don't know if I believe her."

"Why?"

"It's…improbable, let's say. She can't be who she says she is."

"Why not?"

Vincent turned to look at her more fully. "Why so curious all of a sudden?"

Shelke looked away. "I lost my sister, Vincent Valentine. I don't want to see anyone else suffer that."

Vincent bowed his head. He'd forgotten.

Shalua…

"Fair enough," he said softly.

"Who does she say she is?"

"My mother."

Shelke was quiet a moment. "I can see the resemblance, now that you point it out. Why do you not believe her?"

"I don't know if I believe her."

"I do. I, personally, have never seen you so passionate, Vincent. It could have been some long dormant instinct, wanting to protect your mother. You must know, on some level, who she really is to you. What about the promise she mentioned?"

"She doesn't even know that. She has some speculation, but…She doesn't even remember sending the dreams, Shelke. What is she?"

"One step at a time, Vincent Valentine. One step at a time."

His expressions softened as she came to sit by him. He maintained his vigil all night, Shelke falling asleep at his side and curling up into his cloak. He almost gave a half smile as he gathered her up and put her to bed.

_Perhaps_, he thought as he returned to his post, _redemption really is possible. Making peace wasn't enough. Maybe this will be._


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Wow. This isn't going at all the way I had planned, so this is all by ear. I may wind up making an alternate story with it being the way I had originally planned, if anyone wants to know how that was going to go. Let me know, ok? And now, on with the story!

Kiya waited the next day for Vincent, eager as always. She missed him, wanted to know more about him.

It had been so long. He was just like his father, yet so different as well.

Kiya fell into a daydream reflecting on the paths her life had taken. As far as she knew, she was still twenty-four, but it was more likely to be seventy or so, if what Vincent had said was true.

_Let's do some math here. I was twenty-four when I was taken, and Vince was only four. He says he's physically now twenty-seven and chronologically sixty-two. If I'm twenty years older, then that must mean that I'm…_

_Oh, dear._

The door opened. She saw a flash of crimson and a lot of black as Vincent entered. She smiled tiredly up at him. He nodded in return.

So different from her bright boy. He didn't smile.

"You've come back," she said warmly. "I was afraid you wouldn't." He said nothing. "Do you believe me now?"

He was silent a moment more, then he nodded. "Yes. I believe you."

The joy that filled her heart was so powerful, she was overwhelmed. She lowered her head and closed her eyes, attempting to recover.

He didn't help when he slid an arm around her to comfort her.

She got control of herself eventually. She looked at him, locking eyes. "Tell me," she begged. "Tell me everything I missed that you can remember."

He lowered his eyes, pondering his words. That, at least, was familiar to her; it was a trait both father and son had shared.

He told his story, everything he could remember from when he was growing up, to his stint in the Turks and fling with Lucrecia, to his awakening by Cloud from his thirty year interment and the battles with Sephiroth. He stopped short of Deepground and Omega, not wanting to alarm her any further. His memory was still fragmented, especially with respect to his distant past, but it was returning slowly.

She listened intently, interrupting only to ask pertinent questions. When he'd finished, she slid her arms around him, hugging him.

He stiffened. No one had ever come that close to him, not in a very long time. Not since…

Still, she was his mother, so he supposed she could be forgiven.

"I'm sorry, Vincent. If I hadn't been so stupid…"

"No…Mother. Please. None of this was your fault. We can blame Hojo."

"What happened to him?"

"He's dead, gone for good." He quickly recounted the Omega story since she looked suspicious.

She leaned back. "So it's over."

He shook his head. "For us, it will never be over."

She gave an amused smile. "Such a pessimist, my dear. Have you no hope in life at all?"

"I did once. It was destroyed."

"Lucrecia." He nodded. "She must have been something. All I know of her is her skill with the dissection blade." She shuddered.

"She couldn't have known who you were," he started.

She cut him off. "It wouldn't have mattered. She experimented on living beings!"

"Under the influence of Hojo and Gast."

She shook her head. "There's no arguing with you, is there?"

"Not about this."

She smiled sadly. "I remember that feeling."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked after a moment.

"Sure," he said.

"Why do you hide what you feel? Why do you act so stoic?"

The question caught him by surprise, but he didn't show it. He never did. "It's…my protection, I suppose. The last time I was emotionally involved, I nearly died. If no one knows how I feel, everyone keeps their distance."

"Is that what you really want?"

Vincent had no answer.

Tifa walked in, saving him from needing to find an answer. "You can continue this tomorrow," she said gently, kicking Vincent out and giving Kiya a cup of something that apparently smelled terrible.

"I can't wait to be up and about," Kiya said to Vincent. "I miss the wind."

Vincent nodded to her and left as directed. He had some vague notion of finding a book and reading for a while, but he knew he would find no peace.

As before, her voice, her questions, haunted him.

What did he really want?


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Wow. This is my highest reviewed story…ever. Wow. I put up the alternate version of this story. I called it Ages Past Parallel. Pretty creative, eh? I'm going to try to parallel it with updates as much as I can, but if I have inspiration major on either…Well…You know how it is. Also, I wanted to say thank you to Kikino. Dude, you've reviewed nigh every chapter! You rock! What big words am I using? I'm so confused… Well, onward!

He found himself seeking out Shelke.

What did he want, really? Was it the solitude he claimed to love? Or the companionship of others?

He found her in a bright room, reading a story to Marlene and Denzel. They were really too old for it, but they enjoyed it and it gave Shelke a chance to reconnect with people.

Reconnect. There was a thought.

Shelke sent the two kids away when the story was over. "This is a surprise," she said when they were alone. "I never knew you to seek people out."

He looked down. He had nothing to say to that.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Something would send you to find someone."

"I…spoke to my…my mother today." He was still not used to calling her that. "She brought up some issues that made me think."

"Such as?"

"Why I float away from people. Why I remain an outcast. What I really want in life."

"Have you come to any conclusions?"

"No."

"And so you seek advice." She smiled. "I am the least capable of giving such, Vincent Valentine. Why come to me?"

He was quiet for a moment. "I'm not sure. I think you understand me better than most."

"I see." She studied him for a moment, reminding him strangely of Kiya. "What do you think?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted, striding over to the window. "Only a few days ago, I would have said that I was returning to the Forgotten City. Since I've spoken to her…"

"You're confused." He nodded. "Listen to yourself, Vincent Valentine. Listen to your instincts. You already know what's right, and what you want. You simply aren't letting yourself see it."

Her name was called from downstairs. Yuffie's boisterous laughter and Cid's gruff remarks punctuated the shouts from Marlene for Shelke to come.

Shelke walked on out, gently touching his shoulder for a moment before she was gone.

He remained in the room for a while, letting the sunlight soak into his skin. After a time, he went to look at the book Shelke had been reading to the young ones.

_Rip Van Winkle_. How appropriate.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: I'm kinda mad…Some person decided not to read my story because of a difference in opinion about how Vincent looks. That's upsetting. I cry.

Vincent had the next few days to himself. Kiya…His mother was sick with a fever. Tifa wouldn't let him in to see her, despite her many and varied protests.

He didn't really mind. It gave him time to reflect on her question.

_Is that what you really want?_

What did he really want?

He spent most of his time brooding alone, perched on the rooftop. He was constantly bothered by those who meant well. He found he didn't dislike their company.

Most time that was not spent alone was spent with Shelke. She was trying to help him figure out where he stood, where his life was going. The rest of his time she enlisted him to help with the children Tifa and Cloud had taken in.

A very small amount of time was spent with the others. Cid was there, occasionally. Yuffie was, as always, loud and boisterous and obnoxious. Tifa was quietly maternal. Barrett was equally as loud as Yuffie, but in a commanding way. Red XIII, or Nanaki, as he preferred, was there even more rarely than Cid. Reeve was usually present, tinkering with his various incarnations of Cait Sith.

Cloud. Cloud had changed so much since his second battle with Sephiroth. He didn't seem to be bothered by the deaths of Aerith and Zack as much as he had been.

He smiled. He laughed. He partook in group activity. He was…normal.

Vincent, on the other hand, deflected all invitations to join in, in favor of isolation on the edges of the group.

Why? Did he really want to float alongside?

He watched, staring more than he should, or ever had before. He observed the interactions, studied the reactions…

He'd never noticed before. Never wanted to. Never needed to.

He couldn't watch. Couldn't stop.

He walked away, needing the solitude of the roof, while everyone was otherwise occupied. He needed to think.

He spent all night on the roof, staring at the stars and watching the sun rise.

The next night, Shelke dragged him into the den and forced him to play board games with the kids. He felt so awkward, but the kids loved it.

He didn't have the heart to tell them to stop calling him "Uncle Vinnie."

Well, it wasn't their fault they couldn't pronounce his name, was it?

Or, at least, that's what he told himself.

Tifa and cloud watched from a distance as the children incorporated Vincent into their play. "I think that woman, Kiya, is having a very good effect on him," Tifa remarked.

Cloud nodded in agreement. "We may yet get him out of red and black and into it more something a bit more diverse."

"That wasn't what I meant."

"I know."

They were silent for a few minutes, watching.

"Seriously, do you think he'll ditch the cloak and claw, at least?"

Cloud laughed. "Time will tell, Tifa. Time will tell."


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: I apologize for the lengthy delay in updates. Let me offer one word in explanation: College. That's right, I hit college and got so busy, I forgot all about you guys! I'M SORRY! I hope you like this new update!

Kiya recovered eventually. It took several weeks in her weakened state, but she did recover. Vincent found himself grateful for that.

He was allowed to see her again once her fever was gone and she could keep food down. He eagerly took the chance.

He considered his responses for a moment. This almost felt like the obsession to find her in the first place, but less… forced. More willful. Interesting.

He stepped softly into the room, ready to leave if she was sleeping. She was awake, however, and waiting for him. She greeted him with a dazzling smile.

"Ah, Vincent," she sighed. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you as well," he admitted, going farther into the room. "May I ask you… what it was like? When we were… a family?"

She smiled. "Of course." She took his hand and looked him in the eye. "Never be afraid to ask me anything, Vincent. This is your past as much as it is mine." With that, she launched into stories of his distant childhood. She could only recount incidents of his very early childhood, since that was all she'd been present for.

But, oh, the things he'd learned about himself! Like how his first word had been "doggie" at seven months. He found that amusing, considering the name for his gun – Cerberus, the three headed dog that guarded the underworld. And how he'd taught himself to read, with his parents' support, by three and a half. He'd started walking by eight months.

"You were a very precocious child," she'd stated proudly. "I used to brag to my friends all the time about how special you were." She smiled, distant now in her memories. "They were so jealous. Theirs were nowhere near as quick as you."

Vincent just watched her. She was something else. He had no idea what she was capable of, but that was all right. Perhaps it was nothing too out of the ordinary. Perhaps the sendings were the only things she could do. Perhaps there would never be occasion to find out.

Somewhere in the midst of their conversation, she fell into a contented sleep, a small smile on her face. He gently tucked her in and left as silently as he could.

He wound his way up to his rooftop perch, considering everything he had learned that day. He found that if he strained very hard, he could catch fragments of memory of the things his mother had detailed. It was very faint, but at least it was something.

He heard a commotion downstairs and listened carefully to see what was going on. Apparently, there was a big game going on – hide and seek if he wasn't mistaken. There were shrieks of delight and much laughter. It sounded like Cloud was getting in on the game.

He hadn't even considered going in, but his feet were ahead of his mind. They had taken him inside. He could see the children running around, trying to get out of being 'it' for the next round.

One of the smallest girls, Melanie he thought her name was, caught sight of him and ran towards him, grabbing his cloak and shrieking, "Uncle Vinnie's base!"

He looked down at the little one and she looked up at him. "They're bigger than me," she confided, "so I can't run as fast when they find me."

He knelt down next to her and winked. "But you can hide better in places they could never get into."

A smile of delight crossed her features as she understood what he was saying. "Show me one?" she asked plaintively. He nodded his consent.

He let her take his hand and guide him around, showing him potential hiding places when the other kids weren't around. He critiqued them and showed her others she could use.

"Thank you, Uncle Vinnie," she said, giving him a hug.

"You're welcome," he told her solemnly. He watched her run off to rejoin the game, armed with her new knowledge.

That had been… nice. He had connected with someone. It had been a very long time. He stood. He might have to try that again.

Maybe the price for redemption was not so high, after all.

"Did he just smile?" Tifa demanded in a whisper.

Cloud nodded in confirmation. "Don't call his attention to it. I don't think he realizes he's doing it. If we call him on it, he might not do it again."

"But he smiled!" Tifa exulted. "This is great!"

"It is," Cloud replied, "but we still need to be careful. He's not completely healed yet. He's getting better. We need to subtly encourage this. Maybe the kids are the key."

Tifa sighed in pleasure. "It's so nice to be seeing this. I thought he was just dreary through and through."

Cloud chuckled. "We all did. This is a relief. Let's encourage the kids to try to include him more." He turned to her. "And don't keep him away from that woman anymore. She seems to be doing a world of good."

"I won't," Tifa promised. "That last fever seems to be the end of it. I wouldn't be surprised if she's up and about soon." She giggled. "I feel like we're planning a conspiracy."

"To a certain extent," Cloud laughed, "we are."


End file.
